Buddhism

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Buddhism
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Buddhism in America

• New configurations
• In LA, Buddhists who would never have met one
  another in Asia find themselves neighbors, often
  with very different cultural experiences of
  Buddhism (149).
• Need for lay education
• Few second-generation Buddhist Americans become
  monks or nuns (159, 161)
• Adaptation
• Buddhisms three treasures will all be expressed
  in new ways as the various forms of Buddhism
  begin to grow. So far, the plant is still young
  (164).
• http//www.hsilai.org/VirtualTour/virtualmap.html

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Triple Gem

• I take refuge in the Buddha
• I take refuge in the Dharma
• I take refuge in the Sangha

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Siddhartha Gautama

• Born ca. 563 BC
• Context asceticism in India and Nepal
• Life story Classic story of a quest
• How is it unusual?
• How does it typify universal human experience?
• Four Sights why are these shocking to
  Siddhartha?
• Enlightenment
• Teaching others (45 yrs)
• Presents middle way
• Ideal of enlightenment
• Not a god

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Four Noble Truths

1. Life is suffering (dukkha)
2. Suffering is caused by desire
3. Ceasing desire will bring an end to suffering
4. Do this through the Eightfold Path

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Eightfold Path ethics and discipline (157)

• Right views
• Right intent
• Right speech
• Right conduct
• Right livelihood
• Right effort
• Right mindfulness
• Right concentration

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Doctrines

• Samsara cycle of rebirth
• Impermanence
• Interdependence
• Enlightenment
• Nirvana

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Development of Buddhism

• No clear successor after the Buddhas death
• Theravada most traditional
• Mahayana most adapting
• Zen branch of Mahayana

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Theravada Buddhism

• Predominant in SE Asia (e.g., Thailand)
• More conservative, strict
• Buddha an exemplar, not a god
• Dharma Scriptures are the Pali canon
• Sangha monastery
• Best way to reach enlightenment
• Community supports monks
• Universe is not friendly (no gods to help)
• Most like teaching of the Buddha
• Rely on self for enlightenment Impermanent are
  all created things strive on with awareness.

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Mahayana Buddhism

• Dharma More liberal (innovative)
• Scriptures are Pali canon PLUS other sutras
• more open on inclusion of women
• Buddha a savior, god-like
• offer prayer and worship
• Sangha monks and laity
• Big raft Focus on laity, all people
• Priests serve laity, can marry
• Ideal Bodhisattva who helps others
• Universe has helpful and harmful powers
• Offer reverence for gods
• Pray for help

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Zen Buddhism

• Branch of Mahayana
• Most common form in West
• Less ritualistic, less emphasis on scriptures
• Focus on emptying, even of most sacred teachings
• critical of verbal reliance, conceptions
• remarkably self-critical
• practices
• zazen (sacred meditation),
• koan (problem/riddle) reason is limited, have to
  use other forms of knowing,
• leading to satori/kensho

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American Buddhism

• If we dont build temples, our culture wont
  survive in this country (210)
• Temples as community centers (216)
• Entering temple a world set apart (214)
• But, American landscape has also entered temple
  (216)
• Different Buddhist groups have different agendas
  and priorities (216)
• Preserve culture (immigrants)
• Vehicle for social transformation (non-Asian
  Americans)
• Synthesis of different Buddhist practices (217)

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Socially Engaged Buddhism

• Prominent in Vietnam in 1960s
• Rooted in interdependence
• Similar to Americanization of Buddhism how can
  Buddhism engage culture in new ways?
• Anti-war, promoting peace-making
• Relief efforts for poverty, natural disasters
• Rejection of materialism, consumerism in America
  (216)
• Happens at same time as waves of immigration to
  U.S.
• Synergistic effect how can Buddhism thrive by
  engaging American culture as lay people?